Tales of Balmung
by QuakeMystic
Summary: A Story Based on Ragnarok Online and the manga Ragnarok.
1. Default Chapter

Tale of Balmung  
  
And iRO story.  
  
-Damian Conti  
  
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Characters  
  
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Major Characters:  
  
Name: Dame  
  
Sex: Male  
  
Class: Mage/Wizard  
  
Age: 15  
  
Name: Sirocco  
  
Sex: Female  
  
Class: Peco Peco Knight  
  
Age: 23  
  
Name: Triple Six (Called Triple)  
  
Sex: Female  
  
Class: Acolyte  
  
Age: 16  
  
Name: God Poing  
  
Ruler of Rune Midgard  
  
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Chapter I: The Mage Test  
  
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I woke up one morning to the sound of my mother calling my name out. "Dame  
  
Dame!" She called. That was my name. Pretty strange I guess, but not many people in  
  
Rune Midgard had a normal name. I fell out of bed ever so sluggishly and dragged   
  
myself to the bathroom. I combed my hair a bit so it didn't scare people, and threw  
  
on some loose fitting clothes. As I walked out to the kitchen, my mom threw a book  
  
at me, grabbed me by my neck and literally booted me out the door.  
  
"What gives?" I asked.  
  
"School! Go GO!" She answered.  
  
"...Huh?"  
  
"You've been studying at the Geffen Library for so long, todays the day you can learn  
  
to become a mage, stupid!" She taunted.  
  
"Oh yeah...well better get going then. See ya later."  
  
Forcing a kiss goodbye, my mom pushed me out the door. Noticing the lock of brown hair in my face,   
  
I frantically tried to fix my hair, yelling "You musked my gorgeous locks!" As loud as I could. Grabbing  
  
my pack of small assorted items, I started to walk down the pearly white streets of Geffen. Geffen was a circular  
  
town, best known for the various types of magic that were crafted within its walls. In the center of town was a   
  
huge tower. At the top of the tower, strong mages could become wizards, and at within its basement...many dangerous  
  
monsters lived. Within Geffen was also a Forgery, where merchants became black smiths.   
  
Ignoring all this, I continued to walk along. The streets were busy as usual. Merchants showing off the items  
  
in their carts, Acolytes and Priests assisting people, and of course the Kapra girls. The Kapra girls were a group of  
  
women who were stationed in every town of Rune Midgard to help the residents. They were all so cute...but of course,   
  
I was just a little dude. They would never notice me. I sighed and scratched my head.   
  
Making my way to the Mages Guild, I noticed a building with a Diamond on the top. I quirked a brow and walked inside.  
  
It was a small structure, with another large diamond in the middle. I walked to the back, and saw a girl standing there smiling.  
  
She was wearing pracically nothing. Basically, she had a small garment that covered her neck and shoulders, a bra, gloves  
  
and a Loin Cloth.   
  
"Why hello, there. How may I help you?" Asked the girl.  
  
"Err...I want to become...a mage" I stuttered.  
  
"Hmm...Dame, thats who you are right? You're scheduled to take the mage test 5 minutes ago! You're late Mister!"  
  
"Err...I'm sorry." I replied.  
  
"Aw! Its ok. Just be lucky I'm in a good mood. Ok, all ya gotta do is take this empty bottle..." She handed me a bottle.  
  
"And...?"  
  
"Create a 'Solution 3'. Using the information from that book case!" She pointed.   
  
"Err...may I ask what the hell that has to do with being a mage?" I asked, aggrivated now.  
  
"Uh... Don't ask me! I don't make the tests!" She frowned.  
  
I glared at her and walked over to the book case. Pulling out a book with the words "Solution 3" on it. After reading,  
  
It told me I needed to mix some Jellopies, Fluffs and a Red Gemstone with a Morroc Potion. Blinking a few times I walked   
  
back over to the girl and glared.  
  
"I'll ask again, what the HELL does this have to do with mages?! And where the hell is Morroc?!"  
  
"Err...I'm sorry...but its the rule..." She sighed.  
  
I sighed and put the book away. Walking out of the building, Walking around, I tried to ask for directions to Morroc.  
  
I was completely ignored. Running around, I followed a group of swordsman into the Geffen Tower.I chased them as they entered  
  
the basement, but they still insisted I wasn't important enough to answer. After running at full speed, I managed to knock  
  
right into a Blonde Haired Swordsman. I fell back and grunted, but the swordsman kindly helped me up.  
  
"Hey there, whatcha doing down here? Its not safe for you." He said, smiling.  
  
"Sorry...I'm trying to find Morroc, and no one will help me." I explained.  
  
"Ah, I gotcha. I'll help you. Whats your name kid?" He asked.  
  
"Dame..."   
  
"Cool, I'm Cloud. C'mon, lets see if we can get to Morroc. Why do you need to go?"  
  
"Mage test." I Replied.  
  
"Haha...Yeah that test sucks, I hear." He laughed.  
  
Cloud wore clunky, cheap armor and a small helmet on his head. His clothes looked heavily padded, with thick  
  
boots and gloves. His hair was short, like mine, and he was a bit taller then Me. Following him out of the tower, we walked  
  
to the center of town. I saw him walk around asking for a Warp Portal to Morroc. I saw an Acolyte stand up, and a large  
  
white pillar appear infront of Cloud. He smirked and waved me over. I approached and he shoved me in. There was a brilliant  
  
flash of light and I appeared in a dusty city surrounded by rock paved floors, adobe houses, and cacti. It was a large  
  
desert! Beginning to sweat, I saw Cloud appear next to me.   
  
"Whoo! Don't let the heat kill ya, little buddy." He smirked, and smacked me on the back.   
  
We started walking to the north. I noticed large Pyramids in the distance. Cloud laughed and told me to try not  
  
to get too overwhelmed. I nodded and continued. We approached a small spring. Cloud asked for my empty bottle, and dipped  
  
it into the spring. It filled with a lime green water. Cloud smiled and tossed me a purple insect wing. He told me if I  
  
waved it in the air, it would take me to Geffen. Oddly enough, it worked!   
  
As we re-entered the Mages Guild, Cloud walked up the mixing machine, and put in all the different components needed  
  
to make the solution. After a few minutes, the potion was done and I approached the girl. She smiled, and tossed me a Robe,  
  
a wand, and a spellbook.   
  
"Congratulations! You are a mage!" She said.  
  
"...Yeah yeah. Finally."   
  
Using their changing room, I took off my old clothes, and put on the robe they gave me. Long and flowing, it covered  
  
my entire body from neck to toes. I walked out, and showed off to everyone. Cloud laughed and patted me on the back again.  
  
Reaching in his bag, he pulled out an egg-shell and slammed it down on my head. It fit snuggly, like a helmet. He told me   
  
it was a gift and I could keep it. He also gave me some money to buy myself a wand.  
  
"Good luck Dame! Until we meet again, my new friend!" He waved and returned to the Geffen Dungeon.  
  
"Aww! How cute! You look so great in your new clothes!" Said the mage girl.  
  
"I still don't see what potions have to do with magic." I said.  
  
She sighed.  
  
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End of Chapter 1  
  
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To Be continued. Tell me watcha think! 


	2. 2

Chapter II: It begins...  
  
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"Good Morning, dear residents. This is God Poing. How are you all doing today?"  
  
These were the first words I heard every morning, and today was no different. God Poing was the ruler of Rune-Midgard.  
  
She kept things in order. Although, no one ever saw her. But, we did know what she looked like. It was said she had short   
  
blonde hair with a star shaped hair pin. She wore a golden belt, with a heart shaped buckle. Her clothes were white with a  
  
golden trim, and she wore a puffy white shirt, with a matching skirt. Of course, these were just rumors.   
  
Today was the day I left Geffen to start my own adventure. But where would I go? Most people said that Prontera,  
  
the Capital of Rune Midgard, was where everything was. So I figured I'd head there. As I was leaving the eastern Geffen  
  
Gate, a Kapra girl ran up to me and stopped me. She had long blonde hair in pig tails and hazel eyes. Like all Kapra girls  
  
she was wearing a huge puffy dress and white gloves, and their trade-mark head band.  
  
"Hey!! Are you Dame?" She asked.  
  
"Err... Yes, I am."   
  
"I have a message for you!" She said, holding out a letter.  
  
"You tracked me down just to deliver this note?" I asked.  
  
"The Kapra Corp is here to help all Rune-Midgard Citizens! There is no job too small that will be overlooked!!" She said,  
  
Smiling.  
  
"Well, thank you." I replied.  
  
"The charge will be 40zeny!" She exclaimed with an even bigger smile.  
  
"Ehh...err... But I don't have any zeny..." I laughed nervously.  
  
"Oh...poop..." She sighed.   
  
"Its ok. I'll just getcha next time I see you! Good luck traveler!!" She saluted and scampered away.  
  
"Huh. Well..."  
  
With that, I opened the note up to see what it said. It was from Cloud. It read:  
  
"Hey Buddy! How's it going? The world is a dangerous place for a young mage. Don't travel too far unless you know  
  
where you're going. By the way, learn as much as you can, your magic will only get stronger if you get smarter! Document  
  
what you learn in your magic book that they gave you. It will help you analyze and learn new spells! Write me if you  
  
need anything! Good Luck!  
  
-Cloud"  
  
"Well that was nice of him." I said to myself.  
  
Pocketing the note, I exited the town. It was one of my first times outside the city walls. It was a simple field  
  
with grass, trees, bushes and a normal appearing river. Nothing out of the ordinary, so I figured it was safe for me to   
  
walk through here. There were so many creatures I had never seen before. I documented it all. The first creature I encountered  
  
was a small pink creature, it looked like a blob of jelly with a little happy face. I learned that this creature was called a  
  
Poring. Upon further study, I learned it was a marine creature.   
  
As I sat down, writing, it hopped over to me and jumped on my lap. Its small liquidy body smeared my ink, causing  
  
all of what I had just written to be ruined. I tried to shoo it off, but it just stared at me. I got annoyed and smacked it  
  
away. It got upset and hopped away making a whining noise. I rolled my eyes and tried to fix my documents. I sighed, realizing  
  
it was pointless.   
  
  
  
I reached into my pack and pulled out the other book they gave me, a spell book. I saw that it was quite empty.   
  
Looking at its pages, I noticed a few odd things. Each page had strange little slots or holes in it.They also had little   
  
symbols. One was a lightening bolt, another was flame, and etc. It was obvious the symbols represented some of   
  
the elements that magic used, but why were there no spells? And what did the slots represent? I sighed and stood up, putting  
  
the book away.   
  
"Sigh. Well...Ive been gone for about an hour, and I have no idea what to do next. Joy."   
  
A small insect buzzed around my face. An annoying little brown fly, with huge eyes. I tried to fling it away with my  
  
hand, but it wouldn't go away. Buzz, buzz, buzz... God why wouldn't it go away!? Getting annoyed, I pulled out my wand and   
  
smashed it over the head, crushing it into a wall. It crushed upon impact. I was surprised I hurt it so badly. A small yellow  
  
Orb fell from its body. I picked it up, and it glowed an eerie color. Scratching my head, I examined it. I decided to return  
  
to the magic school in Geffen, and see if they knew what it was...  
  
....  
  
......  
  
.......  
  
"Ah!I see you've found yourself a Wind of Verdue!" Said the girl.  
  
"Oh?"   
  
"Yes. Its a rune fragment. If you can find enough of them, it will form a Rough Wind." She said.  
  
"What do they do?" I asked.  
  
"Well, they teach you new magic. You know the little slots in your spell book? You put these little orbs inside the slots  
  
and you will learn how to use a new spell. You're the only one who can do it, though. Not me!" She explained.  
  
"Most spells have room for ten orbs. Each time you add an orb, it will get stronger. You dont HAVE to fill up all the slots,  
  
its all your choice! Also, You can learn new spells by adding orbs to old spells. For example. This Wind of Verdue will teach  
  
you Lightning Bolt. If you add three more orbs to it, you can learn Thunder Storm! Keep in mind, That the more you learn, the  
  
more you can do as a wizard!" She exclaimed.  
  
"Really?" I questioned.  
  
"Yes! For example, if you add for to Lightning Bolt, and then One 'Star Dust' to Napalm beat, as a wizard you can learn  
  
Jupiter Thunder."   
  
"I see. What do the runes do?" I asked.  
  
"Good question. When you acquire a rune, you compound it into your spell book and it will raise your elemental strength. So,  
  
lets say you get a Rough Wind. You put it in your book, and it will make your Wind element twice as strong!" She said, smiling.  
  
"Thats cool. So all I do is stick this in one of these little holes?" I asked, looking down at the first slot.  
  
"Yep! Go for it!"   
  
I took the Wind of Verdue back from her, and stuck it in the very first little hole. The book began to glow a bright  
  
yellow, and the words "Lightning Bolt I" appeared next to the slot, as did a second slot. I blinked. Reading the information  
  
that was listed under the spell, I now knew how to cast it, what to do, and how to target enemies with it. I smiled and she  
  
gave me a thumbs up. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small blue orb, she tossed it to me.   
  
"Here Dame. This is a Crystal Blue. They're a tad bit harder to find then Wind of Verdue, It will teach you the spell Cold  
  
Bolt. If you get Five Crystal blues, it will become Frost Diver. That's a great spell, because it freezes the opponent solid!  
  
Further more, a frozen enemy is weak against wind! Make sure to fill up all the Frost Diver slots!" Explained the Mage Girl.  
  
"Thank you..."  
  
I put the crystal blue into the Water slot, and the book glowed a lavender color. Just like with Lightning Bolt, I  
  
know had a realization of the Cold Bolt spell. Reading the information, I could now cast it at will. Thanking her profusely,  
  
I left the mage building and the gates again. Smirking, I decided to test my new spells out. Finding the nearest Poring,  
  
I clenched my fist and then stretched it outward at the poring. A small flash of light appeared, and a bolt of thunder  
  
crashed down from the sky, electrocuting the poring and causing it to explode. I laughed happily at my new powers, and continued  
  
By the time I reached the gates of Prontera, I had aquired two other Winds of Verdue, and I know struck with three   
  
lightning bolts. I also found one Star Dust, which taught me Napalm Beat. It was like a small psychokinetic blast that hit   
  
anything I used it on. I still had not found any more Crystal Blues...but then again, finding Water Monsters other then Porings  
  
was hard. I decided to camp out, because it was getting late the city walls were closed. So I set up a little tent and fell  
  
asleep inside. All in all, I was beginning to like being a mage. Alot. 


	3. 3

Chapter III: The Thief   
  
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As I walked down the streets of Geffen, pulling my grayish cart behind me, I felt an unusual weight on my shoulders.  
  
I never realized how heavy the stuff I was carrying was. I looked behind me, and then remembered the huge pack I had to carry  
  
around. I laughed to myself wondering how I could have forgotten. My clothing was incredibly padded, and heavy. I Didn't   
  
remember it being like this...but who am I to argue? As I continued to walk, I noticed my reflection in the window. I had  
  
moderately long green hair, and I was wearing sunglasses and small kitty ears on my head. I was pretty confused, as I didnt  
  
seem to remember this clothing... But oh well.   
  
Finally I made my way to the Geffen forgery! Where merchants get to become Black Smiths! I had waited for this day  
  
For such a long time, and now finally I could become a black smith!! I was so excited. I walked in, still carrying the cart  
  
behind me. There were two huge men behind a desk, both holding up giant hammers. One looked at me, and asked me who I was.  
  
"Oh... my name is Kite." I replied.  
  
my name is Kite?  
  
"Ah yes, Kite. I remember you. Are you ready to become a BlackSmith?" He asked.  
  
Why don't I remember becoming a merchant?  
  
"Well, I've looked over your info, permission granted!" He stated.  
  
I looked at the mirror, I was now wearing a short-sleeved button down white shirt, which was half way unbuttoned,  
  
and long blue pants. My gloves were a brownish color, and only covered my palms, not my fingers. I also noticed I was much  
  
more muscular then before...which is odd...because I don't remember myself EVER being muscular. The Black Smith gave me a  
  
strange look.  
  
"Something wrong? You look a bit confused."  
  
"I...just am having some amnesia..." I said, scratching my head.  
  
Everything got fuzzy and strange. All colors began melting...then went black. I sat up, and rubbed my eyes. I looked  
  
around. I was still in the tent I had set up the night before. I looked down at myself. I was a mage, not a black smith.   
  
Long robes, not pants and shirts... I was very confused as to why I had that dream... Who was 'Kite'? I shrugged and crawled  
  
out of the tent. It was day time now. I was surprised, the sound of God Poing didn't wake me up this morning. Where was she?  
  
"First time she's been absent..." I heard a voice say.  
  
"Huh?"   
  
"God Poing. Its surprising, she hasn't been heard from today." Said a red haired thief, standing next to my tent.  
  
"Yeah, I noticed that too." I said as I packed up my things.  
  
"Hmmm... A mage eh? Hmm..." He muttered.  
  
"Err...do you know where I can get rune fragments?" I asked.  
  
"Eh? What?"   
  
"Little colorful orbs.." I tried to explain.  
  
"Oh...you mean like this?" He said, pulling out a Crystal Blue.   
  
"Yeah! I need those. Where did you get it?" I asked.   
  
"Ah, I dont remember. But you can keep it." He tossed me the Crystal Blue.  
  
"Thanks!" I put it in my Cold Bolt slot, to power it up.   
  
"Say, can you show me around Prontera?" I asked.  
  
"Sure, I guess." Said the thief.  
  
I took a good look at him, he was wearing brownish clothes with a white trim. he had long socks that covered his  
  
most of his legs, and heavy boots. He also had a Stiletto knife sheathed around his waste and goggles on his head.   
  
He took me into the gates. Prontera was huge. Tall buildings everywhere, with pearly white streets, clean walk-ways  
  
and a merchant on every corner. He showed me the Prontera Church and Grave Yard to the north east, where people could become  
  
Acolytes and Priests. He showed me the center square, where there was a huge golden statue of Odin, a long since gone God,   
  
riding his six-legged horse. Around this Square was the item and weapons shop. And of course, the Kapra girls running all over  
  
the place trying to deliever packages and such. As we continued to walk, one of the Kapra girls ran up to me and tapped me  
  
on the shoulder. I turned around, it was the same blonde haired girl from Geffen.  
  
"Oh, hello again."   
  
"Hello!! Kapra Girl Suzie at your service!!!" She said in a giggly voice.  
  
"Err, What can I do for you?" I asked.  
  
"Oh! I have a package for you!!" She exclaimed, holding out a box.   
  
"Ah. Thank you." I took the box.  
  
"The charge will be 50zeny please!!" She made a big smile.  
  
"Err..."  
  
"Nyeeehhh!!! Sigh..." She looked down.  
  
"What's wrong..?" I asked.  
  
"I keep getting introuble... because I'm supposed to be collecting the proper amounts of zeny...but you dont have any.."  
  
"I'm sorry..."   
  
"Its ok. Oh well... Open your package!" She said, smiling again.  
  
I opened it up, and pulled out several pairs of white briefs...my face turned bright red, and the Kapra girl, Suzie  
  
started giggling insanely. Inside was a note that said 'Make sure you always wear clean underware!!!! Love, Mom." The thief  
  
also snickered, but looked away. Smacking myself in the forehead and looking down, I heard the Kapra girl say  
  
"Cuuuuuuteee!!! Are you gonna really wear em?!"   
  
"Gah!! WHY DO YOU WANT KNOW THAT?!" I demanded.  
  
"Teeheee!!! Awww!!!!"  
  
"Rawr!! Away with you!!!" I shouted.  
  
"Giggle, Giggle!!! Byeee for now, teehee! Kapra Girl Suzie, always at your service!" She saluted and ran away, still giggling.  
  
"Well...that was annoying ... Short on cash huh? I know where you can make some money." Said the thief.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yeah, the Culvert Quest. The knights guild will pay 10,000 zeny to anyone who can bring them proof they killed the Golden   
  
Thief Bug." He explained.  
  
"...The Golden Thief bug?" I asked, never seeing even a normal thief bug.  
  
"Yes. Its like a little thief bug, except its bigger. And Gold. And Immune to magi...oh...well I guess you can't kill it."  
  
"Immune to magic...?"  
  
"Yes, Thief bugs are a strange type of insect. They're deaf. Normal thief bugs are immune to Spirtual attacks, like Soul  
  
Strike and Napalm Beat. The Golden Thief bug is immune to all magic." He explained.  
  
"What exactly IS a thief bug?" I asked.  
  
"Well, its a little cockaroach like thing. With wings and and long antennaes. Brown in coloring. They like to steal anything  
  
they can find, and will run and attack you if they see you try to hurt another thief bug."   
  
"Oooh. I've never seen one."  
  
"Hey, I got something you can have..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden shell piece.  
  
"What is that...?" I asked.  
  
"Its the shell piece of the Golden Thief bug!!" He exclaimed.  
  
"Err but where did you get it..?"  
  
"Hahaha Stole it from a knight!!" He said.  
  
"Why don't you turn it in for the reward?"   
  
"They don't believe me, I tried. So you can have it."   
  
Handing me the shell, he took me to the Knight's guild, and told me to go inside and show them. I walked in  
  
and looked around. Many huge guys in strong looking armor, holding giant swords. On the walls were decorated swords and  
  
shields and spears. Many swordsman and knights were sitting around and chatting. I walked up to the desk, and placed the   
  
shell infront of the head Knight. He was a tall man, with long hair and a patch over his right eye. His jaw dropped as he  
  
saw the shell. He picked it up and examined it.  
  
"Wh..WHAT?! A Mage...turning this in?!" He demanded.  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"But how...wow...you...you must be incredibly strong!!" He shouted.  
  
"Well, a deals a deal. The 10,000zeny is yours...but how did you do it...?"  
  
"Um...alot of Time and Patience. Thats all." I lied.  
  
"Wow...I...just can't...wow..." He shook his head and handed me a bag of Zeny.  
  
I thanked him and left. As I walked outside, I was grabbed, and something gold was slid over my neck. I gasped for  
  
air, as it was cutting off my breathing, and tried to see what was going on. I heard a familiar snickering...it was the thief!  
  
He laughed, and demanded I give him the zeny. I tried to argue back, but I couldn't speak. He snatched the zeny from my hand  
  
and kicked me to the floor, causing me to drop all my stuff all over. Just then, I saw the doors to the Knight guild burst  
  
open, and the head Knight come charging out with his sword drawn. He pointed the sword right at the thiefs chest.  
  
"You again. You're the one...My son was a mage...too...you put him in the hospital... it was you!" Shouted the Knight.  
  
"Ehh!! No no! I swear!!" Stuttered the thief, cowering.   
  
"You ...WIMP! COWARD!! Give him back his money, NOW! BEFORE I KILL YOU!" Screamed the Knight.  
  
"Y-y-y-es sir!!!!" Cried the thief, giving me back the money, then running as fast as he could.   
  
The knight sighed, and helped me pick up my stuff. He told me that the thief had attacked his son, who was also a   
  
mage. He said that his son had all his possessions stolen. And was too afraid to leave the house now. He sighed again. He  
  
also gave me two rune fragments, a Crystal Blue and a Wind of Verdue. He said his son didn't need them anymore. And that I  
  
could have them. I thanked him. I also told him that I really didn't kill the bug, but he said he already knew. He said I could  
  
keep the money anyway, since I had gone through such a trauma. I thanked him Profusely, and he smiled. After he left, I upgraded  
  
my magic. I now had three cold bolts, four lightening bolts, and one Thunder Storm.   
  
I decided to shop around, so I could find some better items. One Merchant actually came right up to me and started  
  
shaking me. I pushed him away, but he kept talking. He was talking too fast for me to even hear what he was saying! He had  
  
a white head band around his head, normal merchant clothes, and blue hair. His cart was filled with magical looking trinkets.  
  
But what really caught my eye was a jewel studded golden mage staff. I picked it up.  
  
"And thi...oh! Hey hey no touching the merchandise!! Ahh! Like the Arc Wand do you!?!?! Well it can be yours! Yep Yep!  
  
The Greatest Magician Staff there is, it'll boost your magical power better then any wand! Whaddya think!? Want it?  
  
Only 25,000 zeny!! Hey hey, don't push don't push, no need to rush!" He yammered.  
  
"Oh...I only have 10,000..." I said.  
  
"...Oh...well...um... I guess I can give it to you. Give me your old wand, the 10,000 and whatever you have in your pocket.  
  
I nodded, and traded with him. The wand was very well crafted, and I could just tell its power was quite advanced.  
  
I put it away, and thanked him. He nodded, and ran away, spouting deals to whoever he saw. I scratched my eggshell and kept  
  
walking. I was again poor, but It was fine. Walking South, I saw the lower Prontera gates. I decided to leave, and search  
  
for more Rune Fragments. As I was leaving, I overheard two mages talking about something called a "Hode". They said they were  
  
monsters south of Morroc that were really good for mages to fight. They said that Mages can get much stronger fighting them.  
  
I decided I would head to Morroc.   
  
After a few hours of walking, it came to my attention that I was lost. I decided to sit down for a while, but no  
  
sooner did I take a seat, did a monster approach me. I jumped to my feet as I saw it. It was a giant grasshopper!! It was  
  
almost as tall as I was!! Large and green, standing on four legs, with wings behind it and a yellow and purpe striped  
  
abdomen. It bounced around for a while, not really paying me much attention. I took out my wand, to prepare encase it came   
  
too close. It looked at me and bounced over. It looked at me, and then pulled something from behind it. I was sure it was  
  
going to strike...but...it didn't. It pulled out a ...musical instrument? A small red guitar. Using its arm, it played the guitar.  
  
It was a melody I never heard before, and it was very relaxing. I sat back down and watched. The monster, which I found out  
  
later was called a 'Rocker' continued to play his song as I listened intently. Sure I was lost, but I was enjoying this much.  
  
I can't even remember how long I stayed there and listened to that Rocker play ...  
  
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To be continued.. 


	4. 4

Chapter IV: Bibilian  
  
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After walking for several days, I was completely lost. The desert was huge! I was lucky to find a Wind rune or  
  
two from ChonChons, those small flying insects I mentioned before. So now I had a stronger Thunder Storm, although I didnt  
  
like it much. The Sograt desert was huge, with the strangest creatures I had ever seen. The one that stood out the most was a  
  
creature called a Muka. These monsters were huge Cactus plants with movable limbs that bounced around screaming loudly. They  
  
were also quite dangerous. They tended to attack at will, and exploded into a puddle of water when defeated.  
  
God Poing was still missing, although that didn't matter I guess. She had things to do, after all. We couldn't expect  
  
her to be there for us all the time, could we?   
  
As I was walking through the Sograt desert, I stopped and bent down at a small spring. Cupping my hands, I brought  
  
the water to my lips and drank. It was kind of saliferous, but any water was good, because of how thirsty I was. I decided  
  
to sit down and eat some food that was in my pack. Withdrawing an apple from my satchel, I took a big bite. It was juicy...  
  
but I wasn't a fruit person, I just couldn't find anything else for my tiny bits of zeny. As I continued my very pathetic  
  
meal, I heard some kind of singing coming from behind me...  
  
"Doot Doot doot, doodoodoo doot, dooot! Doodoodoo doot doot dooodoooooo! Boys and girls of eeeverrry age, wouldn't you like  
  
to see something strange?! Come with us and you will seeeeee this a town of Halloweeeen, THIS IS HALLOWEEN THIS IS HALLOWEEN.."  
  
Sang the voice...  
  
"Err...? Huh?"  
  
I turned around and saw a huge beak coming right towards me. It was moving so fast that I barely had time to stand  
  
to my feet. A mega sized foot crashed down on my face, bringing me to my back as I screamed in a muffled tone. A second foot  
  
placed itself on my chest. I heard the rider command the bird to sit, and I flailed as it perched itself on me. I heard two  
  
clunks as the rider hopped off the bird. I looked up and through the toes of the birds talon, I saw a female knight with  
  
short pink hair, wearing a helmet on her head. She wore an iron skirt, long cape, metallic boots, and heavy gloves. She smiled  
  
and bent over, only to poke me in the nose.  
  
"Ahhh! See, Charolette? I told you you'd hatch a baby some day! But today you've hatched us a whole lil' mage!!!" Said the Girl.  
  
"Ehhhh!!! Get this damn thing off me!" I shouted, kicking my legs about.   
  
"Bah! You don't have to be so rude, EGG HEAD!!!" Yelled the knight.  
  
"Grr! Its hurting me!!!" I bellowed.  
  
"Sigh, fine fine. C'mon, off Charolette." Commanded the knight.  
  
As the bird crawled off me, the Knight grabbed me by the neck of my robe and pulled me to my feet. She did a careless  
  
job brushing the sand off my cloak, and laughed. Looking at the bird, I recognized it from somewhere before. It had a yellow  
  
head, with an orange body. Its beak was blueish with some red markings. It was a Peco Peco! I remembered that knights could   
  
ride on the backs of Peco Peco birds. I looked down at the huge bird prints on my robe.  
  
"Gah!!! You should watch where you're going!!!" I shot at her.  
  
"Whoo...some body's grumpy. Whats up with you?" She said, grinning.  
  
"What...WHATS WRONG WITH ME?! YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!!!!" I screamed.  
  
"Hmph!!!! You're a mean little mage you know that?! I'm sorry I hurt you but you're RUDE. I hope you get eaten by a hode!!"  
  
She shouted, pushing me away and boarding her peco.  
  
"Grrr Well same to y..wait... did you say 'hode'"? I asked.  
  
"Yeah, what about it?!" She spat.  
  
"Where are they..?"   
  
"...?"  
  
"I over heard a few mages saying its good to kill hodes. They're good for training. Where do I find them?" I asked again.  
  
"Hah! Why should I help you after how rude you were to me?!" She glared.  
  
"...Uh..."   
  
"Hmph. I'm outta here. Go Charolette!" They began to trot away.  
  
"Wait...I'm sorry..." I bit my tongue.  
  
"No you're not."  
  
"Yes I am."  
  
"Then... kiss my boot." She held up her shoe.  
  
"WHAT!?!"   
  
"Ooooh well. Looks like you're trapped in this desert...haha." She started leaving.  
  
"God...FINE..." I bent over to her foot.  
  
"WHAT A WEIRDO!!! HAHAHAHHAHA!" She laughed.  
  
"eh..?"   
  
"Stupid. You don't have to do that. My names Sirocco, and yours?" She asked, smiling.  
  
"Oh...I'm Dame." I said.  
  
"Lemme see your spell book?  
  
I nodded and took out my book. She flipped through the pages, and reaching into her pack, pulled out a Green and  
  
Red orb. She tossed them to me, and told me to learn Stone Curse and Sight. She explained that Hodes would be too hard for me,  
  
and that right now learning Fire attacks would be alittle on the difficult side. She told me that I should use Fire orbs for  
  
when I am a wizard for the Meteor Storm spell. She also went over explaining various Wizard spells. She told me that I can use  
  
My Wind runes for the spells Jupiter Thunder and Lord of Vermillion. Jupiter Thunder was where a wizard charged a ball of   
  
lightning in his hand and blasted it at the enemy. Lord of Vermillion caused a huge pilar of light to crash down and cause  
  
amazing amounts of damage to anything that got too close.   
  
After explaining my Wind skills, she moved on to Water. She said a commonly used water skill was Ice Wall, which made  
  
a barrier of Icicles that could cage in or stop an enemy in its tracks. Storm Gust brought forth a blizzard of hail and   
  
heavy rain to smash the enemy. She suggested these spells, but then pointed me to Water Ball. This spell could only be used  
  
in water, but caused large amounts of damage to enemies.  
  
Earth spells were NOT commonly used, because there are so few, but she told me to get the Quagmire skill. This spell  
  
turned the ground beneath the enemy into a sticky swamp, that they got stuck in to slow them down. She said it was very useful  
  
for escaping from danger. Then she told me that a better place for me to train would be the dungeon of Bibilian, which was  
  
east of Izlude. She told me that I would find plenty of Water runes there.   
  
"Sounds like a good idea. ...But...Where is Izlude...?" I asked.  
  
"Err...I guess I could take you." She said.  
  
Sirocco grabbed me by the neck and hoisted me up onto the back of her peco. I yelled out, hating birds as I did. But  
  
she silenced me. She started trotting at highspeed, and I nearly fell off several times. She instructed me to hold onto her,   
  
so I did. Within a few minutes we had passed in and out of Morroc, and continued to head north.  
  
"Ugh...can we stop?! I hate this damn bird...and I'm getting queasy..." I commented.  
  
"Bah, dont be such a woo--seee." She giggled.  
  
"Excuse me?!"  
  
"WUSSSY!" She began to sing it.  
  
"Wusseee wuuuusseeee wuuuuuseeeee wuuusssssy wussywussy, Dame issss a Wuuuussssssssy!" She sang.  
  
"Stop that!!!"  
  
"Psh! Make me, Grumpyhead!" She laughed.  
  
We argued most of the way, as we continued to travel north. The deserts became plains, and the plains turned into  
  
a lush field I remembered, it was near where I saw the rocker. To the east was a harbor town, Izlude. It was a small town  
  
with only a few buildings. There was a huge food market near the middle, so I sold the merchants my small pieces of loot that  
  
I found from monsters, and bought some fruit. As I looked around, Sirocco was no where to be found.   
  
"Sirocco?" I called out.  
  
"Siroccoooo!?"  
  
I saw her come back, with a girl. The girl had short, straight white hair, wearing kitty ears on her head. She was  
  
an Acolyte. She wore a pearl colored dress, down to her feet, and pink colored little shoes. She had a pearl colored muffler  
  
around her neck, and a pinkish undervest. Around her waste was a heavy girdle, with a cross on it. She also had very large  
  
thick gloves on her hands. She was pretty...but she had a sort of evil glint in her eyes.   
  
"Heheh, Trippy-butt, meet Damebob Grumpypants!!" Said Sirocco, in a silly voice.  
  
"Err..."  
  
"Pfft, Nice eggshell." Said the acolyte.  
  
"Uh...thanks..." I tried to smile.  
  
"Hrumph...Names Triple Six...you can call me Triple..." She said in an unfriendly voice.  
  
"I'm Dame..."   
  
"Yeah yeah, now what Siro?" Asked Triple.  
  
"Onward, to Bibilian!" Shouted the pink haired knight.  
  
She grabbed both of us and tossed us on the Peco Peco, riding to the north east of Izlude. We found a boat there.  
  
Sirocco handed some zeny to the sailor, and he ferried us to a small island. Near the middle of the jungle island was a   
  
cave. Sirocco told me that I would be fine by myself in there, but as I dismounted the Peco, two odd things happened. First,  
  
Triple also dismounted, and offered to help me, and second...  
  
"DAAAAAAAAAAAME!" Squealed a familiar voice.  
  
"Oh no..."  
  
Up to me ran the Kapra girl, Suzie. Smiling and holding a letter. She saluted and gave her normal speech about  
  
how the Kapra Corporation always serves the people. Sirocco laughed as I once again couldn't pay poor Suzie, but Sirocco  
  
kindly paid all of my dues, and thensome. Suzie smiled brightly.  
  
"Thank you!!! Finally maybe the boss will be a little nicer to me...I haven't given him any money since I took up being  
  
Dame's Kapra!" She said.  
  
"My Kapra..?" I asked.  
  
"Yes yes, everyone has their own. Well...sometimes one Kapra girl has ten or even twenty people. But...um... I'm new. So I   
  
only have to worry about you! He says if I do a worse job I won't even get to help a poring..." She sighed.  
  
"Oh...Well I'm sorry. I'll try to pay you back for now on, ok?" I reassured.  
  
"Ooooh!!! Thank you!!" She hugged me, then saluted and dashed away.  
  
"Byeeee! Till we meet agaaaaain!" She squealed.  
  
"Teehee someone has a wittle girl fwiend!" Teased Sirocco.  
  
"Bah." I opened my letter and read it aloud.  
  
"Dear, Dame.   
  
How's it going? I'm a knight now! It's great. I also have a Crystal Blue rune, if you need it. Just tell that cute blonde  
  
next time you see 'er and I'll send it to you. Have you found your way well? Drop me a line if you need anything.   
  
-Cloud."  
  
"Hey, he seems nice." Said Sirocco.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Bah, lets go Egg head. I'm only doing this because I'm bored. And from now on, you are my pet. Don't forget it either!   
  
Disappoint your master and she will introduce a morning star to your shell. Got it, dah-link?" Triple asked.  
  
"Err... yes... Master?" I asked nervously.  
  
"Oh! Good boy." Triple patted me on the side of my cheek. Then made a disgusted face.  
  
"Hehe, See ya later guys." Sirocco waved, and trotted away.   
  
Sighing, Triple grabbed me and dragged me into the cave. It was dark, and very damp. The whole cave was like a   
  
big tunnel. A trench was dug through the middle, with a massive river rushing through it. As we waded through the River,  
  
she complained about her dress getting wet. There were many small creatures swimming about. One looked like a brown insect,  
  
called a Kukre. She instructed me to zap them, so I did. It dropped a Crystal Blue! I grabbed it, and powered my Frost Diver  
  
skill. Within a few hours I had my Frost Diver nearly filled with ten orbs!   
  
"Not bad, kid. You know...looking at your spell book... theres not many skills left for you to learn." She observed.   
  
"Whaddya think I should do?" I asked.  
  
"Bah. We'll ask Sirocco. Maybe you're ready to take the Wizard test." She suggested.  
  
"It seems like it should be taking longer..." I frowned.  
  
"Well... Yeah...it should... but its not like theres a set time limit...you just need to prove your worth. I am very lazy,  
  
and don't fight much...I could probably be a priestess if I want to...I guess. Heh. Like I care. I'll probably be an acolyte  
  
forever." She spat.   
  
She shrugged. Holding her hand up, she lifted a warp portal, a pillar of light from the ground and pushed me in.   
  
When the light cleared, we were in Geffen. She dragged me out to the field to the East, and we killed ChonChons until we  
  
had a decent amount of Wind Runes, for when I became a wizard. After we finished, she checked us into a Inn, and then sent  
  
Sirocco a letter using the Kapra. We rested in seperate rooms for the night. My room was pretty plain, with just white wall  
  
paper. But the bed was nice, and so was the food. All in all, I made two new friends and accomplished quite a bit. I was   
  
proud of how my day went.  
  
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To be continued ... 


	5. 5

Chapter V Part I: The Wizardry test  
  
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I woke up that morning to the screaming of "RISE AND SHINE GRUMPPPYYYY!!!!!!!!" from none other then Sirocco. My eyes  
  
snapped open, and I clung to my blanket for dear life, forcing my eyes shut and groaning. I heard a deep laugh, and the blanket  
  
was snatched right off of me. Again my eyes shot open, as I then remembered the only thing I had worn to bed that night was  
  
my briefs... my face turned bright red as I saw the look on Sirocco's face.  
  
"Well. That was unexpected..." She muttered   
  
"Err...perhaps I should give you a few minutes.." She backed out of the room.  
  
Immediately falling back asleep, I dreamt I was being chased by a giant poring. It jumped ontop of me...and I   
  
was engulfed in its jelly mass. I was now trapped inside big slime. Struggling to free myself, small little parasites  
  
latched themselves onto my arms and began to drain my fluids... it was quite uncomfortable. When I came too, I saw Triple  
  
standing over me. I looked down and I was fully clothed.  
  
"Eh?"   
  
"I have a little brother. And you were taking too long to wake up. Nothing there I haven't seen before." She scoffed.  
  
She walked out as I sat up. Gathering my things, I followed her out the door. Sirocco was standing outside waiting.  
  
Triple said that it was about time we see if I was ready for the Wizard test. We all nodded in agreement and we left the inn.  
  
Hopping ontop of Charolette, we trotted towards the gargantuous Geffen Tower. We walked inside, and climbed several flights  
  
of stairs. The Geffen tower was quite confusing, every room was filled with strange stone pillars that seemed to block our way  
  
like a maze. The fifth floor was simply a room with a Wizard in it. He approached us. His robe flowed to the ground, but had  
  
a golden trim and markings on it. The neck was decorated with jewels, and he had a star patterend pointed hat on his head.   
  
"Welcome." He greeted.  
  
"Hello..." I replied.  
  
"You've come to become a Wizard?" He asked.  
  
"Yes."   
  
"Allow me to see your spell book." He requested, holding out his hands.  
  
"Yes sir." I handed him my book.  
  
"Hmm..." He flipped the pages.  
  
"This is an interesting path you've chosen. Fire spells are usually more common, but this is fine.." He began.   
  
"Does that mean I can become a wizard?" I asked, excitedly.  
  
"Oh my no. Haha. You still have a quest to take." He smirked.  
  
"What kind of quest?"   
  
"Wizards excell in the four elements. I want you to bring me all four of the full-runes. Rough Wind, Mystic Frozen,   
  
Flame Heart, and Great Nature. And then I will transform you into a wizard." He explained.   
  
"Where do I get them?" I asked.  
  
"You must collect Ten of each, then have a Black Smith craft them for you." He answered.  
  
"Thats it?" I asked.  
  
"Yep. Now go." He pointed to the door, handing me back my book.  
  
The three of us left the tower and decided to split up to find the rune-fragments. Triple Six was going to head   
  
To the western Sograt Desert, to hunt for Elder Willows, which dropped Red Blood. I was told to go to Bibilian and find the  
  
Crystal Blue. Sirocco said she would go to the Hode Field and kill them for Green Lives. She also said that Steel ChonChon's  
  
were in that area, so she would try to find some Wind of Verdue. Triple Six teleported us all to our designated locations.  
  
I was again at the Byalan Island. I rushed down into the cave. Wading through the river trench, I began zapping  
  
Kukres, and Hydra. Hydra were plant like creatures with enormous tentacles that expanded out to reach the enemy. They weren't  
  
very big, but still posed a threat. I managed to shock quite a few, but still found no Crystal blues. Then I saw a creature  
  
I had never noticed before, a red crab-like Creature. A Vadon. As I began to cast my bolt, it noticed what I was doing and   
  
snapped my arm with its pincer. It hurt! As I ran, he chased me and snapped at me...But finally I gained enough distance to  
  
finish him off. He dropped a Crystal Blue!   
  
"Great, One down, Nine to go." I said to no one.  
  
Just as I went to pick it up, a Kukre rushed over, grabbed it and ran! Annoyed, I chased the little bugger until the  
  
rune was mine. Continuing through the gave, I noticed strange and eerie lights near the ceiling...but I had no idea what was  
  
emitting it. I also noticed Bone Spikes pertruding from the ground. I quickly ran away from them, until I noticed a strange  
  
stair case, leading down. I decided to follow it.   
  
I was now in a lower level of the cave, with many new monsters. THe first thing I noticed, and killed, was a red  
  
colored mutant toad, a Thara Frog. It had webbed feet and a webbed crest on its back. It was pretty tough, but being weak  
  
to my Thunder Bolt, I took it down without much problem. No Runes from it. The next creature I noticed was a Marina. this was  
  
a strange, white colored jelly fish. Basically it bounced around flailing itself about. Another easy victory, resulting in  
  
a Crystal Blue.  
  
"Good. This is working."   
  
"Looking for runes?" I heard a voice say.   
  
"Uh... Yeah...?" I looked around, not knowing who had spoken.  
  
"Hmm... leveling up your magic... or looking for Mystic Frozen?" He asked.   
  
"Uh...Mystic Frozen..." I stuttered.  
  
"Theres no need to be afraid...I won't bite..." I heard him snicker.  
  
"These are what you need..." Two Crystal Blue runes floated infront of my face.  
  
"Eh What the hell!?" I backed up.  
  
A form appeared infront of me. It was a tall man, with short white hair, sticking out of his oriental styled bamboo  
  
Sakkat hat. He had purple colored clothes, with bandage like wrappings around his chest. He had thick shoes and gloves, and  
  
a scarf like covering around his face that trailed back behind him, flowing like a cape. He also had two blades, seemingly  
  
attatched to his hands... Katar! He was an assassin, the advancement of a thief...  
  
"You should be more careful, young one, it was pretty easy for me to pick-pocket these from you." The assassin smirked.  
  
"What do you want...?" I asked nervously.  
  
"I'm bored..." He sighed, tossing me the Crystal Blues.  
  
"I figured I'd see if I could freak you out, bwahahaha. Its fun." He laughed.  
  
"Err..."   
  
"Names Arconus, and you?" He asked.  
  
"I'm Dame..."   
  
"Nice to meet you." He held out his hand, removing his Katar.  
  
"Likewise..." I shook his hand.  
  
"Excuse me for being skeptical...but I was almost killed by a thief once." I murmured.  
  
"No worries, people usually don't like Assassins, they fear us..." He bent down, getting in my face and whispered...  
  
"Do you ...fear...me... Dame?" A wicked smile spread across his lips.  
  
"Uuuuh...." I began to back away. He bust out laughing.  
  
"Cause that would be bad if ya did!!!!! HAHAHAHAHHAAHA!"  
  
"Ahhhh!!!" I fell over.   
  
"Err, thats not good." Arconus helped me up.  
  
"Actually to tell the truth Dame, I didn't steal those runes from you, hahaha. Consider yourself two steps closer to getting  
  
Mystic Frozen!!!" He laughed.   
  
"Oh.. well thank you..." I said.   
  
"No Problemo! C'mon I'll help you search for more!" He said, smirking.  
  
I followed Arconus and him and I fought together to kill Thara Frogs, Marinas, and Vadons to get up to nine Crystal  
  
Blues! Still missing one last one. The water was cold, and the air was damp, but we trudged on through the dungeon, searching  
  
for the last Crystal Blue. All around us we saw Knights and Swordsman fighting. There was an Acolyte or two, and a thief near  
  
us. None of them would give us any of their runes...even when Arconus offered them zeny. I started to sneeze and shiver,   
  
because it was so cold. Arconus frowned, and insisted we return to the surface. I nodded, and within a few minutes we were  
  
back at the caves entrance.  
  
"I'm really sorry I couldn't help you..." He sighed.  
  
"Its..(cough) okay...I think I know where I can get the 10th. (Sneeze)."   
  
"Are you sure?" Arconus asked.  
  
"Yeah. Thanks, Arco." I answered.  
  
"No problem, He send me a message sometime! I'll come-a-running!" He smiled, and ran off.  
  
I waved good bye, and walked to the Bibilian Kapra. She greeted me politely, and I asked her to deliver a message  
  
for me. I told her to ask Cloud for the Crystal Blue he had been saving for me. She smiled and nodded. Only a few minutes  
  
later did Suzie come running up holding a package for me. Again, she made a slight spectacle of herself, but gladly delievered  
  
Cloud's rune to me. I thanked her, and asked how to have it forged. She told me a Black Smith would do it, for a small price.  
  
I thanked her, and decided to return to Izlude. I asked an Acolyte to warp me to Geffen, and within a few minutes I was standing  
  
infront of the Forgery. I walked up to the nearest Black Smith. He was a blonde haired man, with sunglasses and head phones  
  
on his head.  
  
"Excuse me?"   
  
"Yep?" He asked.  
  
"Can you please forge me a Mystic Frozen?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah sure."  
  
He took my materials, and pulling out a small furnace, melted them together. He then banged the mixture with his  
  
hammer a few times until it formed shards of ice, frozen together. He held it up Triumphantly, and then as I went to take it  
  
he snatched it out of my grasp, and asked for a 10,000 zeny payment.   
  
"EH?! Sorry but I dont have nearly that much!" I said.  
  
"Err.. why do you need it anyway?" He asked.  
  
"I need it to become a wizard." I answered.  
  
"Oh...well...in that case, I guess you can just take it..."  
  
I thanked him profusely, and took the Mystic Frozen. As I dashed to the Geffen tower, I crashed directly into something.  
  
Falling on my back, I looked up to see the beak of a Peco Peco looking down at me. Sirocco leaned over Charolettes head and  
  
smiled. She dropped a greenish-yellow lightning Bolt, and a yellowish Lemon like thing that was split open resemble a flower  
  
on my chest. She helped me to my feet, and I put the Rough Wind and Great Nature in my pack. She pulled me onto the Peco and we  
  
ascended to the top of the Geffen Tower. As we entered the Wizard Room, Triple approached us, and handed us the Flame Heart.  
  
I took it, and brought the four materials to the Wizard.  
  
"Very good. Very good." He nodded.  
  
Waving his hand in the air, I felt my body become engulfed by energy. Once the constricting feeling went away,   
  
I looked down at myself. My robe was now opened, and longer. Much like the other wizards, with decorated gold markings.   
  
It was flowing, and gave me much more room to breathe. Also, using the full rune fragments, he allowed me to begin learning  
  
all of the wizard spells, granted I had the pre-requisites to do so.   
  
"Good Luck. And get yourself a better hat, that egg shell sucks." The wizard said.  
  
"I agree." Said Triple.  
  
"Ditto." Came from Sirocco.  
  
"GO TO HELL!!! MY EGG SHELL IS AWESOME!!" I shouted.  
  
"Whatever." Triple rolled her eyes.  
  
Sirocco grabbed us, tossed us on the Peco, and we left the building.   
  
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To be continued.  
  
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	6. 6

Chapter VI: The Iron Jaws of Phreeoni  
  
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"Good morning everyone. I apologize for my absence." Said a familiar voice.  
  
"There was a tragedy...one that still is."   
  
"My blade, the Balmung, a sword that gives me incredible power, is missing." She explained.  
  
"I have searched all over Rune-Midgard...and have come up empty. Without it...there could be disaster..." God Poing said   
  
nervously.  
  
"I do not want any of you to worry, for now...but if it falls into the wrong hands..."   
  
"I will not vex you further, friends. Have a pleasent day." She ended her speech there.  
  
This WAS a very serious announcement. Without the legendary sword of Siegfried, who knows what evil may be allowed  
  
to run rampant? I dismissed the issue. Several days had passed since I finally became a Wizard, and Triple, Sirocco, and  
  
even Arconus were helping me collect as many runes as possible. So far, for my lightning spells, I had maximum Jupitel Thunder,  
  
which was a spell where I charged up energy and fired an electrical sphere burst at the enemy. I also had five points of  
  
Lord of Vermillion, an incredibly powerful spell that brought fourth an amazing pillar of light that smashed down and exploded  
  
into sparks everything around it. I also had eight points of Meteor Storm. So far, my favorite spell. This spell brought  
  
forth enormous balls of fire to rain down from the sky and incinerate anything that came too close.   
  
For earth, I had the Quagmire spell. This was a very useful skill. It raised a swamp beneathe the feet of my opponent.   
  
The sticky goo ensnared the poor monster, and restricted their movement, allowing me time to flee. I also learned Water Ball,  
  
Storm Gust and ice Wall.Storm Gust created a Hurricane-Force to cause sharp hail and ice shards to fly into the enemy, while  
  
strong winds pushed them away.Ice wall basically was exactly as it sounded, large Icicles raised from the ground and blocked  
  
the enemies path. Pretty useful, considering I could Cage the enemy in. Water Ball only worked in water, but when it did,   
  
it was great! It was very powerful. Large water bubbles were shot at the enemy causing pretty good damage to each one.   
  
After a while, it became apparent that I was becoming strong enough that I would no longer need the help of my friends.  
  
Triple Six was getting closer and Closer to becoming a Priestess, Arconus was growing bored, and Sirocco was restless. They   
  
wanted something more exciting. Arconus sent me a message, saying he had a great idea for something fun. He told me to round  
  
up the crew, and too meet him in Morroc. So, sending a message to the others, I headed for Morroc. After leaving the warp  
  
portal I took, I was confronted by none other then...  
  
"KAPRA SUZIE AT YOOOOOUR SERVICE, MISTER DAME!"   
  
"Mister Dame...? You're probably older then I am..."   
  
"Err.. I'm Seventeen." Said the Kapra.  
  
"Heh. I'm Fifteen." I responded.  
  
"Oooooh!!! Youngin!!!" She pinched my cheek and made a kissy face.  
  
"Nyehh!!!" I swatted her hand away and she giggled.  
  
"What do you want this time Suzie?" I asked.  
  
"Aww...you don't like me anymore?!!" She started to sob.  
  
"Gah.. I didn't mean that! I..." She wouldn't listen... She kept crying.  
  
"Suzie...Stop! I'm sorry... I didn't mean it like ..." She tackled me and smiled.  
  
"Soooooo does that mean you dooooo like me?!" She squealed.  
  
"Gah! I thought Kapra girls can't have boyfriends..." I gasped.  
  
"..."  
  
"YOU'RE POOP!!!!" She yelled, annoyed now.  
  
"Hmph, and we CAN TOO." She stood up, folded her arms around her chest and looked away.  
  
"...So uh...you had something for me?" I asked.  
  
"OH MY GOD!!! YOU SHOULD JUMP FOR JOY THAT A *CUTE* GIRL LIKES YOU!!! BUT YOU JUST IGNORE ME!!" She screamed.  
  
"HERE TAKE YOUR STUPID LETTER, AND DONT EXPECT TO SEE ME EVER AGAIN!" She slapped me and threw the letter at me.  
  
"Err...Wait... Suzie!!" I called, but it was too late, she stormed off.   
  
I felt bad now. But what could I do? I wonder if everyone had to put up with this from the Kapra Girls. I shrugged  
  
it off for now, and openned the letter, it was from Triple. She apologized, but she said she was feeling under the weather.  
  
She had returned home to Prontera, and said she would see me in a few days. I put the letter in the trash, and awaited the  
  
arrival of my comrades. Arconus and Sirocco arrived after much delay.  
  
"Sorry I'm late, Came all the way from Fayon." Said Arconus.  
  
"It's ok Arco."   
  
"Yeah...I'm just lazy!!" Giggled Sirocco.  
  
"Heh. So, whats the plan Arco?"   
  
"Well, Have either of you ever heard of Ant Hell?" He asked.  
  
"Nope."   
  
"Not me."   
  
"Err... Well its a dungeon to the east. It's filled with Ants. Andre, Deniero, Piere, Vitata... And...The insatiable one..."  
  
"The Insatiable one..?" I asked.   
  
"Yes. a monster like none you've ever seen. Hes huge... pink in color, with four eyes, and a wicked smile. His teeth are the  
  
size of my katar, and he has green antlers growing out of his head. He has two small legs, and flabbly arms always held up.  
  
He is a force to be reckoned with indeed. I say we kill him!" Declared Arconus.  
  
"So let me get this straight... you want us to kill a monster...with huge teeth...and an insatiable hunger for blood?" I asked.  
  
"Thats total bull shit!" I shouted.  
  
"No! I shit you not!" Arconus commented.  
  
"Right ..." I sighed.  
  
"Sounds like a plan! Let's do it!" Sirocco said.  
  
"Ugh..."  
  
Within an hour we were standing in the dreary cave of ant hell. Bugs were everywhere. It was dark, with crimson walls.  
  
There were bats flying around also. What caught my eyes the most were the Acid Geysers. They were small, structures, they stuck  
  
up in the air and resembled tree stumps. They were surrounded by spikes and every few seconds they spouted yellowish acid from  
  
their tips. We tried not to get too close.  
  
The ants left us alone, for the most part. We killed a couple, but nothing good was found. We began to hear odd rumbling  
  
noises. There was also no one around. Suddenly, a large earthworm like creature exploded from the ground and attacked us.  
  
I heard Sirocco scream out "Hode!!" and she slashed it in half with her broad sword. We looked around, four more attacked.  
  
Arconus dashed towards them and slashed two to bits with his katar. The third came for me, but I managed to blast it with  
  
Frost Diver and then follow up with a Jupiter thunder, destroyed it.   
  
"There...are no hodes in this dungeon..." Said Arconus.  
  
"...What does that mean...?" I asked nervously.  
  
"...It's..."  
  
"YRAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" A horrid scream echoed through the cave.  
  
"ITS PHREEONI!!!" Shouted Arconus.  
  
"WHERE?!" I yelled.  
  
"GRRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Another bellow.  
  
From the ceiling crashed down a massive creature. He was exactly like Arconus described. His giant tongue  
  
flailed. From his mouth and screeched again. He leapt at me, and I tried to cast...but it was too late, that massive   
  
tongue smacked me right into a wall. I blacked out. When I came too, I saw a very worried Suzie standing over me with  
  
tears in her eyes. She was putting leaves in my mouth... I sat straight up, and looked around. Sirocco, Arconus and Suzie  
  
were all looking at me.   
  
"Are you ok!? I'm sorry I freaked out earlier..." Said a sobbing Suzie.  
  
"I'm fine..." She hugged me.  
  
"Why are you feeding me leaves...?" I asked.  
  
"Directly from the vines of the Yggdrasil tree of life! They'll make you feel better!" Sirocco exclaimed.  
  
"Ah."   
  
"C'mon, lets get you to an Inn." Arconus said.  
  
With that, they helped me onto Charolette, and they took me back to Morroc. What a failure... I hope the next time  
  
we face Phreeoni, we can defeat him. But for now... rest...  
  
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To be continued...  
  
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	7. 7

Chapter VII: Fall of the Ant Queen  
  
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I wonder if anyone is actually reading these  
  
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I was in Ant Hell again. But alone this time. I had to get my revenge. I had to show Phreeoni that I wasn't  
  
a push over. I came well prepared this time. The humidity from the acidic geysers was causing me to sweat. I took off  
  
my egg-shell helmet and threw it on the floor, letting my hair breathe. I didn't need it. Anything that got too close  
  
was blasted to pieces by my magic. I trudged through the cave tunnels, breathing hard as I awaited to confront my enemy.  
  
Sweat formed along my hairline. I heard a rumbling.  
  
"HEEEESSSSH!!!!!"  
  
A hode flew from the ground and tried to attack me, but charging my Frost Diver just in time, I managed to freeze  
  
him solid. I then took out my wand, and smashed the hode. It shattered like glass. Its comrades dared not approach me. I  
  
continued on. The ants now, as if knowing my power, moved out of my way. Then I saw him. Licking his chops, he didn't notice   
  
me. He lifted his head and sniffed the air. He turned to face me, the massive beast. He opened his jaws and let out a screech.  
  
Blood curdling, I covered my ears.  
  
"Yreeeehhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Yooo.... rrrretuurnnsssh?" Spoke Phreeoni.  
  
"...You can talk?" I asked.  
  
"Of Coursssssssse...." He hissed.  
  
"Why do you kill people?" I demanded.  
  
"Your are lucky...hsss...If the knight hadn't carried yoooo away...sshhhh....I would have devoured yoo..." He said.  
  
"Hmph. Not gonna answer me?"   
  
"Let me ask you a question..." He said, very clearly.  
  
"No hiss?" I asked.  
  
"What do you hope to gain by killing me? Fame? Money?"  
  
"I just want the satisfaction." I answered.  
  
"Foolish human...I've survived over a century feeding off you pitiful mortals...I won't be beaten."   
  
"And...I only hiss for dramatic effects." He finally answered.  
  
"Oh. Gotcha. So...um...Fight now?" I asked.  
  
"Yes, now would be fine." He nodded.  
  
"Ok, lets do it." I replied.  
  
Phreeoni let out a houl and charged at me. I held up my hand and cast the Quagmire spell. Green bubbles formed from  
  
the ground, and ensnared his feet. A swamp began to sprout up around him, bubbling and forcing him to the ground. Unable  
  
to move, I began casting Ice Wall. Jagged Shards of ice shot up from the ground all around Phreeoni until I had completely  
  
caged him in a wall of ice. Phreeoni cried out.  
  
"Impressive... I gave you too much of a chance..." He hissed.  
  
"Hmph. Now is where you die, Phreeoni. Say good bye."   
  
"METEOR STRIKE!"   
  
My body became encased in a flaming aura. The aura stretched from my feet to the ceiling. I held up my hand, now  
  
encased in fire. I moved my palm in a circle motion. I held my hand to the sky, and the walls of the cave began to Rumble.  
  
From the sky, huge balls of fire began to storm down onto Phreeoni. Horrible screaming was heard from the Icy Prison. He  
  
howled in pain as each ball of fire seered his flesh. The meteor barrage lasted for quite some time, and when it cleared,  
  
I stared at him with an evil look. The cage was gone, and all that remained was a charred, steaming monster.   
  
"Ya...got me..." He coughed.  
  
"I didnt...think...you would be able to do it..." He gasped.  
  
"..."  
  
"So...this is...your reward...You have the...satisfaction...of...killing me." He continued.  
  
"Answer me. Why did you kill so many people?"   
  
"I need to eat...don't I?" He asked.  
  
"Why didnt you just eat the ants?" I asked.  
  
"And face her wrath...? The wrath of...Maya?"   
  
"...Maya?"  
  
"Yes...the queen of the ants... she rules the lower regions of Ant hell... shes...she kills anything...that touches  
  
her children..." He went on.  
  
"Furthermore ... she...with her...scythe like arms...would tear you to bits... in seconds...paint the cave walls...  
  
with your blood..."   
  
"So why didn't you leave here?" I asked.  
  
"What...and live amongst the humans..? Yeah right... I would've been killed...in minutes..." He was gasping for air.  
  
"..."  
  
"...Dame... promise me something..."   
  
"...?"  
  
"...Kill Maya... my death...won't be so bad...as long as...she suffers...as well..."  
  
"I will."   
  
"...Thank...you.....ehh..." He died, and his body disintergrated.  
  
I looked down at the ashes that were once his body. I shook my head and continued on. Walking down a flight of  
  
stairs, I saw something I thought only existed in nightmares. It was huge. At first glance, it looked like a giant towering  
  
insect... but...when I took a closer look, I saw its true form. It was a young girl... a very beautiful, naked young girl.   
  
She was a human girl, but adorned on her head was a giant insectoid helmet. Golden feelers flailing about, and a queens crown.  
  
Furthermore, The insectoid head had two huge red eyes, and a green color with golden trim. Tentacles seemed to strap the  
  
girl to an enormous insectoid body. Was it a robot..? Eight long legs touched the ground, and a long abdomen stretched back  
  
with wings attatched. Giant Scythes lay at her sides. But how did she control it...? What was she...? The room was filled to  
  
the brim with ants...but they moved out of her way, as she approached.  
  
"Why have you come here...?" She asked, in a low tone.  
  
"...Wha...what...are you?" I couldn't glance away.  
  
"I am Maya...the Ant Queen... why have you disturbed my realm...?" She questioned.  
  
"You... are... a human..."   
  
"I am an insect. The Queen on Insects." She said again.  
  
"No...you're a girl.. look at...a girl...strapped to... a bugs body..." I was so confused...  
  
"... I am an insect queen...I insist you stop questioning me...and leave my world...or I will kill you..."  
  
"......I ....I have to kill you... " I stuttered.  
  
"Haha. I am undefeatable... silly fool..." She smiled.  
  
Snapping out of my trance, I cast my my Ice Wall spell. But I did it somewhat different this time. Instead of  
  
Caging Maya, I rose the icicles right into her abdomen, impaling her down. She screamed out and tried to escape. Blood  
  
started to spray from her abdoment. I was so confused... What was this creature!?!? I continued to raise Icy Javelins  
  
from the ground, impaling her entire body, except for the human form. Green blow poured from her.  
  
"I'll ask you one last time, Maya. Tell me what the hell you are."   
  
"...ahh....it's...so..cold... I can't...mo...ve.." She said in a monotonous voice.  
  
"TELL ME!"  
  
"I am from a race of demons, with the magical power to transform ourselves into insectoid creatures... I am the last  
  
of my kind...so I rule the ants...down here...But..."   
  
"..."  
  
"Can you survive your wounds?" I asked.   
  
"...Why do you ask?"   
  
"If you promise to reliquish your title as queen...remove your insect form and stay human...I'll let you live." I replied.  
  
"...The mighty queen...finally...beaten? ... Why are you letting me live?" She asked.  
  
"For the most part... you're human." I answered.  
  
The ant bodie vanished, and she fell to the ground, covered in scratches. Long golden hair sprouted from her head.  
  
I tossed her my old mage robe, for her to wear. She looked up at me pitifully. I nodded. She wrapped herself in the robe  
  
and shivered. I knelt down by her.   
  
"Maya."  
  
"What..."  
  
"Thank You." I said.  
  
"...No.. Thank you...for freeing me..." She responded.  
  
"Do you know who has the Balmung, God Poings sword?" I asked.  
  
"...If anything on Rune-Midgard has it, it's Baphomet...the demon king.Defeat him and you will find the answers you seek.."  
  
"Thank you, again." I replied.  
  
I stood up, and turned away. I walked back throughout the cave, with Maya following me. As I reached the front of  
  
the cave, she shielded her eyes, stating how many years its been since shes seen the light. But she went on, and together  
  
we walked back to Morroc. I bought her, with the little money I had, some actual clothing, and again she thanked me.   
  
"Dame... Thank you...again... Take this... a gift from me..." Maya spoke.  
  
My body glowed a bit...and she vanished. When I checked my spell book...I saw that she had given me the spell  
  
"heal". I could now restore my health... naturally, with my own magic. It was exactly like an Acolyte could. I smiled.  
  
I never did hear of, or see Maya again. But she gave me something very valuable. Not just the gift, but knowledge. Baphomet  
  
was our next target.  
  
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To be continued...  
  
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Leave some comments.. 


	8. 8

Chapter VIII: The Yggdrasil Tree of Life  
  
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"Good morning... This is God Poing. The Balmung is still missing, by the way.. That is all."  
  
Poing sounded very distraught. It seemed like it was becoming more and more apparent that it would be my responsibility  
  
to find the sword for her. But could I beat Baphomet...? Probably not...but I had to try. I returned to Prontera, to go to  
  
visit Triple Six and see if she was feeling better. Earlier, I had recieved a message from Sirocco, stating that her and  
  
Arconus were going to go hunt Solider Skeletons some where in the Fayon Dungeon. It had been so long since I had been to  
  
Prontera, that I almost forgot my way around. Luckily, I found her house. She lived somewhere in the Mid-West part of the  
  
city, in a small little home with a smokestack. She came to the door as I knocked.  
  
"How ya doin, Trippy?" I asked.  
  
"Better. Say, are you busy today?"  
  
"No, why?"  
  
"I need to go to the Prontera Chruch, and attempt becoming a Priestess. Wanna tag?" She answered.  
  
"Sounds like a plan." I responded, smiling.  
  
"Cool. Lets go." Grabbing her Kitty head band, she jetted out the door, dragging me with her.   
  
We headed to the upper-north regions of Prontera. The cathedral was huge. The doors alone were bigger then we were,  
  
but Triple just headed right in as if it was like any other place. We walked into a small room to the side, and approached  
  
a smiling priest. He looked at Triple Six, and nodded.  
  
"Welcome my Children. Has God Poing smiled upon you this day?" He asked.  
  
"I would like to become a priestess." Announced Triple.  
  
"Is availing yourself REALLY a sin?" I asked.  
  
"Ava...DAME SHUT UP YOU FRIGGIN MORON!!!!" Screamed Triple Six, with a look of death in her eye.  
  
"Yes, my son, it is. Anyway, are you prepared for your Quest, young lady?" Asked the Priest.  
  
"Damn!!" I cursed.  
  
"Dame I swear on Poing I am going to kill you over...and over again..." Triple muttered.  
  
"Err..."  
  
"...I'll pretend I didn't hear that... the quest is fairly simple. You are to seek out the Yggdrasil Tree of Life, and eat  
  
of its fruit, which grow at the highest of its branches." He explained.  
  
"The Ygg Tree? No one knows where that is!" Triple Six shouted.   
  
"Oh but you're wrong. Because I will tell you exactly how to get there." Said the priest.   
  
"...Err where is it?" I asked.  
  
"You must go to the cliffs of Mt. Mjionior, and enter the coal mines. From there, you must make your way to the third floor  
  
basement. There will be a small cave exit there. From that exit, you will travel up a long winding path, and once you reach  
  
the end you will see the tree. Climb to the top of its branches and eat of its fruit. You will be filled with the wisdom you  
  
need to become a priestess." He described.  
  
"I understand." Triple said.   
  
Triple and I walked outside...wondering where Mt. Mjionior was... Someone told us north, so we walked to the north,  
  
and after a few fields we were attacked by huge centipede creatures called Argiopes. We ran. They weren't fast enough to chase  
  
us down, but they sure tried. Finally, after an hour of walking, we reached the mountain, and the coal mines.   
  
As we entered the mine, We noticed it was quite dark, with rail tracks and mine carts everywhere. There were also  
  
many shafts to the mine, and several lanterns overhead. We walked down the long corridors, as we were attacked by bats and  
  
skeletons. As we entered the second floor, the skeletons were bigger, with huge spiked weapons. They chased us down, but  
  
we tried to run instead of fight.   
  
The Third Floor was by far the worst. The first thing we saw was a giant red colored demon, with a floating cross  
  
tied to its body with barbed wire. The demon had a devilish smile, a was holding a giant book that was attatched to its  
  
hand with what looked like lightning. The creature was floating off the ground and approached us. We backed up slowly.  
  
"..What the hell is that...?"   
  
"I have no idea..."  
  
"Should we fight it?"  
  
"I don't think so..."  
  
"Which way should we run?"  
  
"I...don't care...as long as that thing doesn't Find us..." Triple Six was now hiding behind me, peering over my shoulder.  
  
"I've never seen you afraid before. It's the first 'Feminine' thing I've ever noticed." I smirked.  
  
"Ever call me feminine again and I'll kill you...but right now I'm actually scared..." She answered.  
  
"Hmmm..maybe we can kill it..."  
  
"Excuse me, young man." Asked the demon, in a gentlemenly voice.   
  
"...Err...yes?" Maybe he wasn't so scary...  
  
"Do you have the Fire Wall spell?" He asked.  
  
"No..."   
  
"Then I suggest you run. Go on, I'll give you a couple of seconds." He smiled.  
  
"Err...which way is the cave exit to the Yggdrasil tree?" I asked.  
  
"That would be to the left, young one." He answered.  
  
"...Thanks..."   
  
"Tick Tock, I'd get running." He said.  
  
I nodded, grabbed Triples hand and we ran like hell. The demon let out a howl and dashed after us. Screaming, we  
  
ran as fast as we could, but he was gaining speed far too quickly. I stopped dead in my tracks and cast Ice Wall. There was  
  
a loud thud, and the demon crashed face first into the pillars of cold. He fell over, dizzy and Triple and I had time to reach  
  
the exit. As we exited the Mines, We saw the winding snake path, it lead up a hill with green grass and flowers everywhere.  
  
As we climbed the top, we saw what we were looking for.  
  
The Tree was huge, and its branches reached as high as the eye could see. Leaves were shining in the sun, with a golden  
  
dew on them. It glistened. There was almost an aura around it. Its trunk, had to be three times the size of both Triple and I  
  
combined, and taller then the heavens. As we approached, we heard a voice behind us.  
  
"Welcome travellers, you have found the tree of life." Said the man, in a gentle voice.   
  
"Who are you?" I asked.  
  
We turned around to see a male priest, with a long buttoned up cloak down to his knees and long pants. His cloak  
  
was black, with a red trim, and his pants matched. He had short, but messy blonde hair, blue eyes and an angels halo over  
  
his head. He smiled warmly and greeted us. His name was Crimson, he was the protector of the tree. He explained that if   
  
Triple ate of the of the fruit, she would be ready to be a priestess.  
  
"The fruit grows on the tallest of the vines, climb and eat." Crimson said.  
  
Triple glared at me, and pointed to the tree. I sighed, and begun to climb the branches. It was very difficult, and  
  
I had to take off my robe to do it. The tree had to be atleast fifty feet high. I climbed with all of my might, until I finally  
  
reached the top. I peered over the canopy, and I could see all of Rune-Midgard. I could see the steeple of Prontera Church,  
  
The too of the Geffen tower, and even the Sograt Desert. I snapped back to reality, and looked around. I saw a yellow berry,  
  
and snatched it. I climbed down the tree, and handed it to Triple.  
  
"You should have climbed with me. It was beautiful." I said.  
  
"Don't get sappy on me." She snapped, and grabbed the berry.  
  
"Sigh..." She took a big bite.  
  
"...That was unexpected..." She announced.  
  
"Well, what does it taste like?" Asked Crimson.   
  
"..Cheese Burgers..."   
  
"Correct!! Surprised? I was too." Crimson laughed.   
  
"Here ya go!" Crimson tossed her a purple dress.  
  
"...What the hell is this?" She asked.   
  
"I'm not wearing this shit. Can't I just dress in my acolyte clothes?" She demanded.  
  
"...I suppose..." Crimson Replied.  
  
"Cool. Dame, lets blow this pop-stand." Triple Six opened a warp portal to Prontera.   
  
"Wait..." Crimson began.  
  
"May I come and join with you? I hate it here..." Crimson said.   
  
"Sure, whatever." I responded.   
  
He smiled, and three of us returned to Prontera, and rested up at Triples house. For dinner, we had Cheese Burgers  
  
and for dessert we shared the rest of the Yggdrasil berry. Triple promised that the next day she would work hard on learning  
  
her priestess skills, and I announced we would be heading the Hidden Temple then. Baphomet needed to be destroyed. Immediately. 


	9. 9

Chapter XI: The Demon Lord  
  
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I was awakened to the blonde haired Crimson, calling my name. I hurried outside of the room Triple Six had prepared  
  
for us the night before. He was standing outside the house, and I went out to meet him. He was sitting down on a bench  
  
nearby, looking over at a blacksmith. I cocked my head to the side and took a seat next to him. He sighed as the blacksmith  
  
walked away. I looked to him with a questioning face.  
  
"He was cute, wasn't he?" Crimson asked.  
  
"..Crim?"   
  
"Huh? ...oh... Yeah... Hehe..." He chuckled.  
  
"I didn't know." I looked away.  
  
"Well I didn't tell you." He replied.  
  
"After all, I just came with you guys without even taking a chance to get to know you." He continued.  
  
"I have good reason, you know. For coming with you."   
  
"What reason?" I asked.  
  
"Balmung." He said, with piercing words.  
  
"...?"  
  
"The sword, your destiny is bound to it. You defeated Phreeoni, and freed the spirit of Maya. Is this not true?" He asked.  
  
"How did you know that?"   
  
"The Spirit of Maya visited the Yggdrasil tree. Without the power of the sword to aid you, you would never have accomplished  
  
what you did. You are by far, the key to finding it." He explained.  
  
"But I thought Baphomet had it..." I asked.  
  
"He does. And this is why I had to get with you. I am afraid Baphomet is going to attack the tree. If he does,  
  
there will be a second Ragnarok."  
  
"A second Ragnarok?"  
  
"Is there a parrot here? Yes, a Second Ragnarok Dame." He repeated.  
  
"What is Ragnarok?" I asked.  
  
"Don't you read? Many years ago, Hell broke loose, Odin was devoured by the Fenris wolf, the Gods fell. Asgard was destroyed.  
  
Ragnarok means the Fall of the Gods. Balmung was created after the Ragnarok, and given to Poing so that she could protect us.  
  
If the Yggdrasil Tree is destroyed, Nidhogg, the eater of life will emerge from underneath and destroy all of Rune-Midgard."  
  
"...Nidhogg...?"   
  
"Nidhogg, the eater of life. He gnaws at the roots of the tree of life for all eternity with an insatiable hunger.  
  
He is a giant dragon of indestructable power, like the tree himself he is immortal. If the tree is destroyed the entire  
  
planet will be at his mercy. And I will tell you now, he is not a merciful being." Crimson answered.  
  
"How can we prevent it?"  
  
"I am the protector of the Tree of Life. Some help I am. Baphomet must be killed before Nidhogg is released."   
  
"Can we beat him?" I questioned.  
  
"Although he can wield Balmung, it's power is aiding you. Perhaps. Whatever happens, I will do anything to protect the  
  
tree."   
  
"I'll help you."   
  
"Thanks Damey. I'm gonna go look for a cute Blackie Smithy." Crimson Smiled and ruffled my hair, leaving.  
  
I blinked a few times. "He's an odd one." I shook my head and stood.  
  
"Dame!!!" An oh too familiar voice squealed.  
  
I was tackled by a very excited little Suzie. She smiled wide and hugged me. She apologized numerous times for   
  
getting upset at me, and I willingly forgave. She smiled, and sat on the bench. I noticed something different, she was  
  
no longer in her Kapra dress, but instead in just jeans and a T-Shirt. She informed me she was fired from the Kapra service  
  
for being too immature, and not getting her job done. She also sadly informed me that she was moving away to persue other  
  
careers. With Teary eyes she explained that her and I would probably not meet again. As I frowned, I noticed her cheeks turn  
  
bright red. She leaned in and gave me a small kiss. My face turned red, as she stood up. I grabbed her hand, and asked her to  
  
wait, but she simply started to cry, and yelling 'Good Bye', she turned and ran as fast as she could.   
  
"Suzie..."  
  
"Don't worry Dame." I heard Triple's voice behind me.  
  
"You'll find happiness." She put her arms around me and gave me a gentle hug.  
  
"Triple...showing affection? Should I fall over?" I smirked and hugged her.  
  
She growled, withdrew her Morning Star mace and smashed it over my head. I fell to my back, and the egg shell helmet  
  
I wore on my head shattered to pieces. She hissed at me and helped me up, only to smack me with the Morning Star again. Needless  
  
to say when I was no longer unconscious, I heard Crimson telling Triple something...   
  
"Triple, Tell Dame I need to leave."   
  
"Why?" She asked.  
  
"The Tree, it is in danger and I sense it. I need to get there immediately before something happens." He responded.  
  
"Please try to get him to wake up, and have him hurry to the Tree. I need his help."   
  
"Alright Crim." She replied.  
  
"Thank you. Fare Well." I heard the sound of a warp portal opening and closing.   
  
"This cannot be good..." Triple said as I walked to her.  
  
"I heard it all."  
  
"Good. We need to hurry."   
  
"I know, can you warp us to the Yggdrasil Tree?" I asked.  
  
"No, sadly we gotta go through those damn coal mines again."   
  
"Shit.. Where is Arconus and Sirocco when we need them?!"   
  
"I have NO idea! They won't reply to any of the letters I --" Triple Six's doorbell Rang.  
  
"What the hell?" She opened it.  
  
"Kapra Delievery Service." Said a red-headed Kapra.  
  
"Letter for Dame and Triple Six."   
  
"Thats us." I said, taking the letter.  
  
"Thanks." I read it aloud.  
  
  
  
"Greetings, From Payon!  
  
Arconus and I are having a great time hunting Solider Skeletons here, and we even found a few Rare items! We're  
  
gonna stay here for a while. Sorry we haven't responded sooner. Kapras over here are retarded! Tee-hee!! See you soon!  
  
-Love Sirocco and Arconus.  
  
PS. We got you a present, Dame!"   
  
It was then I noticed the Kapra was still there. She handed me a small box and left. Inside was a head band. Pearl  
  
in color, with red arrow shaped stripes along it. The head band also had a feather sticking out of it. I put it on my head  
  
and it fit perfectly. I looked in the Mirror, and even Triple admitted it looked nice on me. I admired myself for a moment,  
  
before Triple randomly opened a warp portal beneath me feet. I was now infront of the Coal Mines. She appeared next to me  
  
a few minutes later.  
  
"Let's hurry." She said.  
  
We ran as fast as we could, ignoring every creature, and again being chased by the giant scary red monster demon.  
  
Within an hour, we reached the Tree of Life. Infront of Crimson towered a demon, Baphomet. He was huge. With a Goat's body.  
  
Long horns came from his head. He was a light brown with hooved feet, and clawed hands. He held in his hand a long, jagged  
  
Scythe. He spoke with a voice of pure darkness.  
  
"Crimson!!" I called.  
  
"Dame! Hurry!!" We ran to him.  
  
"Fools... why do you delay the inevitable?" Asked Baphomet.  
  
"We will NOT let you release Nidhogg!!" Shouted Crimson.  
  
"How will YOU stop me, mortal?"   
  
"We're stronger then you think Baphomet! You cannot defeat us! We have the power of the Gods is on our side!" Crimson  
  
spat.  
  
"The GODS? HAH! I laugh...You're a fool...a pitiful fool...I will kill all of you!" Baphomet cackled.  
  
"Never!! MAGNUS EXORCISMUS!!!" Crimson held up his hand.  
  
From the sky, an angel appeared, holding a sword above baphomet. She sang heavenly for a couple of seconds, and  
  
Blades began to rain down upon Baphomet. He shielded his face with his Scythe as blades continued to fall. The blades were  
  
made of pure light and holy energy. He cried out as they continued to fall. As this continued, I snapped out of my trance  
  
and cast Storm Gust on him. The skies became cloudy, and jagged hail began to crash down and smash into him. The two of us  
  
continued to cast our spells against Baphomet, for several minutes, before he could even move.   
  
"No...I will not...be...defeated...."  
  
He held up his Scythe and slashed at us. It sent forth a shock wave of energy at us. Crim blocked it with a spell,  
  
but the spell only weakened it. The force knocked us back. Triple growled and attempted to attack...but I grabbed her back.  
  
Crimson healed us, and I got up and cast Jupiter Thunder on him. It had barely any effect. Crimson created a force field to  
  
protect us, as I kept casting spells.   
  
"...No...Could the Balmung...really be aiding... him?"   
  
"..Fine...I...Can't...continue..." He fell.   
  
He began to breathe heavily. We didn't approach. with one final sigh, he cursed us, and died. He began to fade away  
  
and in his place was a glowing sword with a blue aura. It was brilliant looking. I picked it up, and put it in my robe.   
  
Crimson looked at me in awe, as did Triple.   
  
"Balmung ..." Said a female voice.  
  
I turned around ...and couldn't believe my eyes...  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
To be Continued...  
  
Final Chapter, The Epilogue, Coming soon!  
  
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	10. 10

Chapter X: Balmung  
  
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"...Balmung..." Said a female voice.  
  
I turned around, and saw a pale, scared girl. She was dressed in all white, with puffy long sleeves and a short  
  
skirt. She had a golden girdle around her wasie with a heart on it, and star hairpin in her short golden hair. She smiled  
  
with a scared sort of innocence, and approached. I knew immediately who she was. Without her speaking, I held out the Balmung  
  
to her, and she gladly took it.   
  
"Thank you, Dame." Said God Poing.  
  
"But... I don't understand why you're here...how did you know?" I asked.  
  
"I felt it's prescence." She said.  
  
"Why didn't you feel it before?" I questioned.   
  
"It didn't want me to. It wanted you to find it, Dame." She said calmly.  
  
"Me...?"  
  
"Yes, and now...I wish to speak to you private. If that's ok?"   
  
"Sure.." I nodded.  
  
With a flash, we were no longer at the tree of life, but instead in a dark room. Upon further inspection I noticed  
  
walls held up by stone pillars, with gray brick tiles. Archs on the ceiling, and dusty cobwebs clung to the walls. There was  
  
a massive cross in the center, with a statue of Odin next to it. The statue stood on an elevated pedestal. God Poing approached  
  
the statue and placed the Balmung in it's hands. She then smiled and turned to face me.  
  
"Where are we?"   
  
"St. Abbey. This is where I stay...so few people come here, and when they do I simply hide." She answered.  
  
"Dame ... there are so many things you should know..."   
  
"I am not the first God Poing. Not by far. As a matter of fact ... I'm somewhat what you call 'New'." She began.  
  
"New..?"   
  
"Yes. You see the old God-Poing was getting old ... so, the Balmung did exactly what it did to me. It fled. And it  
  
came to me. I was approached by her, and she told me to take over for her. To protect Rune-Midgard from Baphomet and  
  
evils much like him."  
  
"Does that mean I'm replacing you...?" I was confused...  
  
"No, Baphomet is dead and the Tree of Life is safe. It means my job is done...and I can simply relaxe. But Dame, you  
  
must promise me you will return to this spot every so often, to check on the Balmung." She requested.  
  
"I promise...but how do I get here?" I asked.  
  
"West of Prontera." She answered.  
  
"I'm not much older then you Dame, and for many years I've dwelled here wasting my youth. But like Maya, you have freed me.  
  
I can go now and live my life. But I won't do that without rewarding you first."   
  
"In the back of the church is grave yard, with a small cave that is gated off. Climb the fence and go into the cave, inside  
  
will be more Zeny then you will ever need in your lifetime. Spend it on whatever you see fit. Becareful though, there is a small  
  
guardian back there. But nothing you can't handle. Don't let it catch you off guard." She explained.  
  
"Thank you, Poing ..."   
  
"No, Call me Christy...please." She said.  
  
"And thank YOU Dame." She hugged me.  
  
Her clothing suddenly changed completely and in place of the white dress, she now wore normal swordsman clothing.   
  
She smiled, and began to walk to the front of the Abbey. She gave one last little wave, and vanished. It was the last time  
  
God-Poing...Christy, was ever heard from, except for the next day, when she said good bye the everyone.   
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Epilogue  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
Crimson, Triple Six and I all stayed close friends after the event, and we hung out together almost everyday. Arconus,  
  
Went on to return to the Assassin's guild in Morroc, as he was needed there. Sirocco, although we did see her from time to time  
  
became very busy once she married a wizard named Ghorath. She rarely hunted with us. I did manage to see Cloud again and he  
  
was doing just fine. He joined the Prontera Chivalry, to defend the walls of the Golden City. I also ran into Suzie, who was  
  
doing just fine. She had found a new boyfriend and was very happy.   
  
  
  
I recently took a trip to that cavern she told me about, and fought the guardian inside. It was a Swordsman, or so I  
  
though, except he was a Ghost. He called himself a Doppleganger, but it made no matter. After an arguous battle, I defeated  
  
Doppleganger. After collecting some of the Zeny, I decided it would be fun to buy ...well everything I'd ever need!! I only  
  
made one purchase, that changed my life completely...but thats another story...  
  
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The End  
  
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End file.
